


Save me from drowning

by starrazor



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Campaign 2 (Critical Role), Caves, Confessions, First Kiss, Fjorduceus, Light Bondage, M/M, Mutual Pining, SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 103 - Freeform, Swimming, Teahaw, Water, cuddling for warmth, fjorclay, kinda???
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25608214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrazor/pseuds/starrazor
Summary: (SPOILERS for episode 103 campaign 2)Fjord chases after Caduceus into the underwater tunnels. Fjord is a dumb ass. So is Caduceus. There's a cave, mutual pining and confessions?
Relationships: Caduceus Clay & Fjord, Caduceus Clay/Fjord
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	Save me from drowning

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic! ;o; No idea what I'm doing but TO HELL WITH IT LETS GO

_"Caduceus!"_

Fjord had been chasing Caduceus feverishly through the ever heating tunnels, but the damn things twisted and turned like a labyrinth. The rest of the nein were following as best they could, he could hear them calling after him at a distance, but they were far behind and he couldn't risk his friend getting away.

"Caduceus! Stop!" He shouted, his voice echoing strange and garbled through the water and bouncing off the cave walls.

"I'm sorry!" he heard Caduceus respond, just ahead of him in a tunnel to the left. Without hesitating Fjord took the sharp turn to the left, narrowly avoiding the dangerous glowing plants that seemed to reach for him as he swam by. 

"Caduceus!" he shouted again, only to the suddenly get knocked into a familiar body, cloaked in green and pink. They both exclaimed in chock and then Caduceus was struggling to get away from him.

"I have to get there," he said, this strange calm over his voice as he tried to push him away and keep swimming towards Vocodo.

"Oh no you don't," Fjord grunted and in turn quickly reached out to catch his friend. He get his arms around Caduceus's frame and locked him in like he had the first time around.

"Don't you dare blind me again," he almost joked. But not really. His face was buried against the clerics back as Caduceus keep struggling against his grip. He wasn't hurting him, just trying to get away.

"Stop fighting me!" Fjord yelled. Suddenly Caduceus made a quick motion with his hands and then everything got flipped on its head. The waters around them rushed from the familiar suction of the control water spell and Fjord screamed as they were both flung at breakneck speeds through the tunnel. The cave walls, pink hair and flowers becoming a colorful blur. He kept a tight grip on Caduceus and prayed.

* * *

"AAAAAHHH-" and then they were suddenly thrown up out of the water and fell tumbling down onto hard rock. Fjord felt his skull knock against Caduceus and his hip and knee took a beating as he hit the ground.

"Ughh," he groaned, his stomach reeling from the sudden hurtle through the water. He rolled over onto his back and started coughing up the water from his lungs. Wherever they had ended up, they were now in complete darkness.

"What. The FUCK, was that?" he spit, sounding more angry than he meant to. There wasn't an immediate response, which made him worried for a second before he heard a quiet 'ow' in the darkness next to him. _Phew._

"That wasn't _quite_ what I meant to do but," Caduceus answered, somewhat strained as he sounded like he sitting himself up. It was still dark. Right. _FWOOM._ Fjord summoned his sword and made it light up. The cool glow of the blade revealed that they were stranded in a small cave, maybe thirty feet across at most. Ten feet high. There was a hole at the bottom with the water that they had been burst from that glowed faintly orange from the flowers.

"I have to get there," he heard Caduceus mutter again beside him, and having been distracted with taking in their surroundings he almost missed how Caduceus was about to dive back down into the water.

"NooOOO-" he yelped, throwing himself after the cleric. His sword clattered to the ground, leaving them in the dark again as he wrapped his arms around the cleric, pulling him back from the cave opening. Caduceus grunted in surprise and fell backwards as Fjord pulled them both backwards onto the cave floor. Caduceus landed on top of him with a thud, pushing the air out of his lungs.

"Ghaa! Why do you wanna go there so badly?" Fjord growled breathlessly, trying his best to pin down Caduceus's arms against his sides. Which was difficult, as they were both still soaking wet and Caduceus seemed very determined to get away.

"It's important."

Fjord sighed and scrambled out from under Caduceus, still holding him tight. It was his turn to apologize.

"I'm sorry about this," he said as he fished for his hempen rope. It wasn't an easy task, holding down a seven foot tall firbolg and also trying to tie a knot, but after a few minutes of wrestling he finally had him tied up in a way that wouldn't hurt him, but also wouldn't let him get away. Fjord was panting from the exertion and got off of his friend, sitting back onto the cold cave floor. He searched a bit before finding his sword and lit it up again. He had tied down Caduceus's arms against his sides and tied his legs together, so hopefully he wouldn't try to swim like that. That would be really bad.

"Will you stop trying to run away now please?" he huffed, feeling quite bad as he saw his friend roll over to look at him.

“Well,” he said “I don’t feel like this was quite necessary but alright.” He wiggled a bit uncomfortably in his bonds and Fjord grimaced. “I just need to get there, it’s really important.”

“You keep saying that!” Fjord said throwing an arm up in frustration. “You don’t actually feel that, it’s just Vocodo- or er- Avocado’s spell on you, or whatever.” Caduceus eyebrows knitted together in confusion and Fjord sighed.

“Just trust me okay?” 

Caduceus hummed, seeming deep in thought. Maybe part of him was fighting the spell? He could only hope. Fjord scooted over to where the hole was and peered into the water. He didn't wanna risk swimming with Caduceus and him fighting him and potentially getting caught up in the flora. He couldn't leave him to find their friends either, that could go wrong in any number of ways. With a hum he stuck his head into the water to listen. Nothing. God damnit.

"JESTER? BEAU? ANYONE?!" he shouted into the tunnel, hearing it echo down the caverns. A beat went by. Two. Nothing. They were too far away. He pulled back out. They could be anywhere in the maze of tunnels. He tried to tell himself their friends would be safe. They had to be. They had each other. Right?

"We're just gonna have to wait for the others to find us." He coughed a bit to get the last of the water out and shook his hair. It could take hours for them to find them, seeing as they had no idea where they were. Nor did Fjord have any way to communicate to them, and Caduceus wasn't much help at the moment. With a sigh he scooted back from the hole. They were both still soaking wet. Even though the water had been warm Fjord could feel himself starting to shiver in the cold cave, a feeling he recognized quite well after many nightly swims in the sea. He looked over to see that Caduceus seemed to be in the same predicament. His long pink hair stuck to his face and his gray fur and clothes were slick to his skin. Fjord swallowed.

"We'll catch a cold at this rate." Fjord muttered hugging his legs closer to his body. "I assume you don't have any way to keep us warm?" Caduceus took a second to think.

"No, not today. Sorry." He shifted a bit to look over at the water again. "But you know, it would be warmer when we got to where we have to go." Fjord groaned and pinched his nose bridge.

"Nope, out of the question. I don't feel like getting shish kebabed by a semi-god today."

"Alright then." Caduceus sighed in defeat and shivered. Fjord frowned. God, where were the others? It was quiet for a moment as Fjord contemplated. He played absentmindedly with the symbol for the Wildmother that Caduceus had gifted him so long ago. The metal and crystal felt cool under his fingers and oddly comforting. The day that Caduceus had given it to him felt like so long ago. He watched the wave shaped crystal glimmer in the light from the torch blooms. Caduceus was now sitting up, curled in on himself and shivering. Fjord felt a pang of guilt in his chest.

"You've taught me so much, you know. Changed me. I think for the better." he said, before he really had the time to think about it. He looked down thoughtfully at the symbol, but could see that Caduceus was turning towards him out of the corner of his eye.

"No, I _know_ for the better." he corrected himself, his mouth twisting up into a sad smile. "And for that I'll be forever grateful." He looked up at Caduceus and smiled. It was all true. He didn't know what he would have done if he hadn't had his guidance at a time when he felt like he was drowning. Both figuratively and literally. Caduceus blinked back at him for a second and then chuckled.

"I'm glad I could help you, in whatever way I could." He smiled back, that calm, kind smile that was so familiar. "But it's I who should thank you. I have no idea how long I would have waited in the garden if you all didn't show up when you did. I think… it is destiny that we should meet and guide each other like we have." A warmth spread in Fjords chest, spreading through his freezing limbs and heating him from the inside. He chuckled in return.

"I think it might be, yes." 


End file.
